The machinist climbs his ferris wheel liek a brave And the fire eater's lyin' in a pool of sweat victim of the heatwave Behind the tent the leatherboy tightens his legs On the sword swallower's blade Circus town's on the shortwave Well now (and) the runway lies ahead like a great false dawn Oh fat lady, Missy Bimbo, sits in her chair and yawns And the man-beast lies in his cage sniffin' popcorn The midget licks his fingers and suffers Missy Bimbo's scorn The circus town's been born Oh and a (the) press-roll drummer go, ballerina to-and-fro Cart-wheelin' up on (across) the tightrope (And) with a cannon blast, lightning flash, moving fast through The tent Mars bent, he's gonna miss his fall Oh God save the human cannonball And the flying Zambini's watch Marguerita do her neck twist (And) the ringmaster gets the crowd to count along Ninety-five, ninety-six,....ninety-seven And behind the tent half bent money spent With his wet face fallin' (make-up drippin') on the ground With a half-smile half-frown goin' down Oh Jesus sent some sweet women to save all the clowns And circus boy dances like a monkey on barbed wire And the barker romances with a junkie, she's got a flat tyre And the elephants dance real funky, and the band plays like a jungle fire Circus town's on the live wire Samson lifts the midget up above the liars Hear the liars, they're outside crying Hear the liars, they're inside sighing Hear the liars, listenin' to the barker Hear the liars, watching the centre ring Oh hear the liars, up on the trapeze Oh hear the liars, feel their fire Oh hear the liars, feel their fire Oh hear the liars, they're all scared of dying Well anybody wants to try the big top All aboard, Nebraska's our next stop Songs To Orphans (Part 4, 5)
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